Program for the 2016 AGM and Policy Convention

This program is subject to minor timing changes as the days proceed.

More information about the speakers will be added as it becomes available.

If you want to help at the AGM and Convention, there will be a lot of on-the-spot jobs. Rather than assigning many tasks now, the better thing is to ask for help from the people in the room when the help is needed!

What kind of help?

Greeting people as they come in, making introductions, helping staff some of the information tables, buying and selling T-shirts, setting up the silent auction and later taking it down, etc.

If you’re willing to do any of that on the day, just say so to the first Executive member you run into and we’ll know to call on you. Thanks.

On Friday afternoon, we will be doing some preliminary set up at SAIT and might want a little help with organizing name tags, setting up tables, and so on. This would be from about 3 till 5 (TBD). Please email info@greenpartyofalberta.ca if you would like to offer your help, and please include your phone number.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Friday, September 30, there is an informal social evening with the Leader, Janet Keeping, starting at 6 pm.

Where: Getto Boys Burgers & Ribs, downstairs. This is a no-host evening, so be prepared to buy your own food and drink.

This workshop can be a huge step toward genuine success in the 2019 election. We need you there, whether you’re just wondering what a Constituency Association is for, or you’re wondering how it can translate into a winning campaign, or you have the answers and want to share them with others.

The first part of the workshop will be about why we need CAs, what the challenges are that people face in getting one started, and the technicalities of what’s required to do that. The second part will be about setting goals for recruiting members and volunteers, fundraising, and attracting a strong election candidate, plus tips on how to meet those goals.

We need to get started now for Green success in 2019. We can do it! Believe! (and come to the workshop).

The Party Leader may attend and vote at Executive Council meetings. The Leader, since 2012, is Janet Keeping, Lawyer, Calgary.

4:25 to 4:55 pm Leader’s Speech

4:55 pm End of business. Photo time!

We’ll take the usual picture of everyone.

4:55 to 5:45 pm Break / New Executive meets privately, briefly

The new EC will get their picture taken and have a brief meeting, mainly to set their meeting schedule. The “New Executive” is the whole Executive Council, including the continuing members.

5:45 to about 7:30 pm Dinner

Dinner and lunch are included as part of the weekend for those who RSVP before end of day on Wednesday. After that, we can’t guarantee your food order will make it to the kitchen! Please don’t delay, RSVP today.

Dinner Speaker

Our dinner speaker will be Susan Wright, of Susan on the Soapbox, one of Alberta’s leading political observers.

About Susan Wright

Susan thought she’d become an anthropologist but found herself slogging through law school instead. She obtained her LLB from the University of Calgary in 1984 and was called to the Bar in 1985. She worked as a litigator at a major downtown law firm before seeing the light and moving in-house. She spent 26 years in the petrochemicals, pipelines, oil and natural gas industry, practicing in Canada and the US. She was the VP Legal, General Counsel at Alliance Pipelines before she retired to run in the 2014 provincial by-election. She lost but says running for public office is good for the soul and everyone should try it at least once.

Susan writes a political blog Susan on the Soapbox which won a Clawbie Award in 2013 for being the best legal blog for a non-legal audience. Posts have been reprinted in Huffington Post, Rabble and Alberta Views.

Sunday, October 1, 2016

After the events and excitement of Saturday, we get down to the business of making policy on Sunday. We have on tap a series of proposed policy motions on subjects ranging from Agriculture to Human Rights to Renewable Energy to Cooperatives and more. Our past policy meetings have generated a lot of lively discussion, and this one will be no exception. If you have been a member for thirty days, you can vote on policy resolutions. The full text and background of all the motions have been posted, so have a good look at them and come prepared to share your opinions.

Noon Lunch and Speaker

Again, lunch is included with your registration provided you RSVP before the close of business Wednesday. After that, you should still RSVP in the hope we can convince the kitchen to dish you up a meal, but we can’t guarantee it.

Lunch Speaker

We will be hearing from Celia Lee.

Celia Lee holds a Master of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and has been actively studying and promoting vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods and communities.

1 p.m. to 4:30 pm Continuation of Policy Convention

4:30 pm Close of Convention

4:30 to 4:40 pm Reminder from the Green Party of Canada of Special General Meeting in December